Demystifying the online shopper: 10 myths of multi-channel retailing

A Canadian perspective on the 2013 Global Multi-channel Retail Survey

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Demystifing the online shopper

10 Myths of multi-channel retailing

The retail sector in Canada has changed dramatically over the past decade. New technologies, global access, enhanced mobility, social media: each of these has had a profound impact on how consumers gather information and make purchase decisions. This, in turn, has shifted how retailers target, attract, maintain and engage with their customers.

The challenge for Canadian retailers is separating fact from fiction when it comes to setting their business strategy. Every day, executives in the retail and consumer packaged goods industries are inundated with forecasts of a fast-approaching future: the coming dominance of tablet and smart phone shopping; a continuing decline of the physical store; social media's starring role for the next generation of young shoppers.

The purpose of this report is to debunk common myths related to the retail sector both in Canada and around the world so that retailers can make informed decisions on what they need to do in order to continue to serve their customers in the most effective way. Because in a sector where technical innovations are rampant and customers are more engaged than ever, retailer success is still being driven by one thing: the shopping experience of their customers.

About the Global Multi-channel Retail Survey

In 2012, PwC conducted a survey in order to understand and compare consumer shopping behaviour and spot the patterns in multi-channel shopping and the use of different retail channels across 11 countries: Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, China, Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, UK, US and Turkey. Over 11,000 individuals participated in the survey, including 1,333 in Canada - making this report the most complete picture of the global online shopper that PwC has ever produced.